© 2007 Paula Thompson
© 2007 The Urantia Book Fellowship
The following was presented in a workshop at the Summer Study Session 2004 in East Stroudsburg, PA.
The Urantia Book claims to be a revelation of truth; it never claimed to be a revelation of fact. It boldly proclaims that, “One can be technically right as to fact and everlastingly wrong in the truth.” [UB 48:6.33] This is a thought-provoking statement, and can even be perplexing because our scientific culture seems to dictate that truth and fact are essentially the same thing. But are they? I pondered this statement, and asked God to show me a practical example of it, a metaphor to help me understand it Then, I found several examples of this within the book itself.
One is the classic example of the archangel’s statement on truth and fact illustrated by the cave man analogy in Paper 100—Religion in Human Experience. The fact is the caveman “a short, misshapen, filthy, snarling hulk of a man standing, legs spread, club upraised, breathing hate and animosity as he looks fiercely just ahead.” The truth is that “In front of this animated human crouches a saber-toothed tiger, behind him, a woman and two children.” [UB 100:4.5] The fact is this caveman is little more than a wild animal himself. The truth is he possesses much that is good and noble in the human race. The differences between truth and fact, though subtle, are quite real.
In light of what we know of the human source authors of The Urantia Book, I hope to provide a fresh look at what the revelators had to say about their use of these human sources as well as their mandate to use them. In order to accomplish this, it is helpful to think like a revelator. Right now, imagine that you are a highly evolved being who has been assigned the task of revealing truth to the mortal creatures living on a sin-stricken, evil-dominated, self-seeking, isolated world, such as Urantia. Imagine that what follows is a briefing for the task at hand and that you are being presented with the following mandates from the superuniverse rulers regarding that task.
In all your efforts to reveal truth and co-ordinate essential knowledge, give preference to the highest existing human concepts pertaining to the subjects to be presented.
Resort to pure revelation only when the concept of presentation has had no adequate previous expression by the human mind.
Accordingly, in making these presentations about God and his universe associates, select as the basis of these papers human concepts representing the highest and most advanced planetary knowledge of spiritual values and universe meanings. Wherein these human concepts, assembled from the God-knowing mortals of the past and the present, are inadequate to portray the truth as you are directed to reveal it, you may unhesitatingly supplement them, drawing upon your own superior knowledge of the reality and divinity of the Paradise Deities and their transcendent residential universe.
You may draw freely upon all sources of record and planetary information. And although it is exceedingly difficult to present enlarged concepts and advanced truth to the humans of the realm, remember as you endeavor to expand cosmic consciousness and enhance spiritual perception, that you are restricted to the use of the language of the realm. Further, you are to introduce new terms only when the concept to be portrayed finds no terminology in the language of the realm which can be employed to convey such a new concept partially or even with more or less distortion of meaning.
These are your mandates. The Superuniverse Rulers are fully cognizant of the difficulties of your assignment; they recognize the impossibility of fully translating the language of the concepts of divinity and eternity into the symbols of the language of the finite concepts of the mortal mind. But remember that there dwells within the human mind a fragment of God, and that there sojourns with the human soul the Spirit of Truth; further know that these spirit forces conspire to enable material man to grasp the reality of spiritual values and to comprehend the philosophy of universe meanings. Be even more certain that these spirits of the Divine Presence are able to assist man in the spiritual appropriation of all truth contributory to the enhancement of the ever-progressing reality of personal religious experience—God-consciousness.
No doubt our beloved revelators received just such a briefing before undertaking the monumental task of presenting the Fifth Epochal Revelation of truth to the mortals of Urantia. As we look objectively at their revelatory mandate, we get insights into the difficulty of their task. They surely did a thorough assessment of the assets and liabilities inherent in their undertaking and crucial to their ultimate success. Even so, the Divine Counselor, whose words I used to glean this mock briefing, was really quite matter of fact about it all. (No pun intended.)
However, we find in the beginning of Paper 121, a more detailed acknowledgement and explanation of the human sources used by one of the twelve Urantia midwayers who presented the Jesus papers. I think it provides some great insights into the reasons for the revelatory mandate to use human sources. This midwayer gives us a fairly comprehensive explanation of his process in choosing the human source material. Why? Perhaps it is because, knowing us so well, he knew we would stumble over the human source materials when we did, eventually, discover them. Midwayers, unlike celestial beings, are truly terrestrial, and have a remarkable understanding of humans. They have served us faithfully throughout our long, long evolutionary struggle. I submit that they in fact know us better as a group of beings than anyone save the Father himself and no doubt, the Revelatory Commissioners leaned upon them heavily for insight and understanding into our unusual pathologies.
In carrying out my commission to restate the teachings and retell the doings of Jesus of Nazareth, I have drawn freely upon all sources of record and planetary information. My ruling motive has been to prepare a record which will not only be enlightening to the generation of men now living, but which may also be helpful to all future generations. From the vast store of information made available to me, I have chosen that which is best suited to the accomplishment of this purpose. As far as possible I have derived my information from purely human sources. Only when such sources failed, have I resorted to those records which are superhuman. When ideas and concepts of Jesus’ life and teachings have been acceptably expressed by a human mind, I invariably gave preference to such apparently human thought patterns. Although I have sought to adjust the verbal expression the better to conform to our concept of the real meaning and the true import of the Master’s life and teachings, as far as possible, I have adhered to the actual human concept and thought pattern in all my narratives. I well know that those concepts, which have had origin in the human mind, will prove more acceptable and helpful to all other human minds. When unable to find the necessary concepts in the human records or in human expressions, I have next resorted to the memory resources of my own order of earth creatures, the midwayers. And when that secondary source of information proved inadequate, I have unhesitatingly resorted to the superplanetary sources of information.
The memoranda which I have collected, and from which I have prepared this narrative of the life and teachings of Jesus—aside from the memory of the record of the Apostle Andrew—embrace the thought gems and superior concepts of Jesus’ teachings assembled from more than two thousand human beings who have lived on earth from the days of Jesus down to the time of the inditing of these revelations, more correctly restatements. The revelatory permission has been utilized only when the human record and human concepts failed to supply an adequate thought pattern. My revelatory commission forbade me to resort to extrahuman sources of either information or expression until such a time as I could testify that I had failed in my efforts to find the required conceptual expression in purely human sources. [UB 121:8.12-13] [Emphasis mine]
Our friend the midwayer describes here how he was forbidden to use “extrahuman sources” unless absolutely necessary. He was even required to justify his use of “extrahuman sources” when indeed no suitable “human sources” could be found. This left me wondering, why are these human sources so important? The midwayer mentions our human “thought patterns” three times. I think this is a clue as to why the human sources are vital to the success of the Fifth Epochal Revelation and to all epochal revelations as well.
The midwayer goes on to say:
While I, with the collaboration of my eleven associate fellow midwayers and under the supervision of the Melchizedek of record, have portrayed this narrative in accordance with my concept of its effective arrangement and in response to my choice of immediate expression, nevertheless, the majority of the ideas and even some of the effective expressions which I have thus utilized had their origin in the minds of the men of many races who have lived on earth during the intervening generations, right on down to those who are still alive at the time of this undertaking. In many ways I have served more as a collector and editor than as an original narrator. I have unhesitatingly appropriated those ideas and concepts, preferably human, which would enable me to create the most effective portraiture of Jesus’ life, and which would qualify me to restate his matchless teachings in the most strikingly helpful and universally uplifting phraseology. In behalf of the Brotherhood of the United Midwayers of Urantia, I most gratefully acknowledge our in debtedness to all sources of record and concept which have been hereinafter utilized in the further elaboration of our restatement of Jesus’ life on earth. [UB 121:8.14] [Emphasis mine]
I love the way he acknowledges the human sources here. The following quote gives us a bit of insight regarding the constructs of human thought and thought patterns:
Partial, incomplete, and evolving intellects would be helpless in the master universe, would be unable to form the first rational thought pattern, were it not for the innate ability of all mind, high or low, to form a universe frame in which to think. If mind cannot fathom conclusions, if it cannot penetrate to true origins, then will such mind unfailingly postulate conclusions and invent origins that it may have a means of logical thought within the frames of these mind-created postulates. And while such universe frames for creature thought are indispensable to rational intellectual operations, they are, without exception, erroneous to a greater or lesser degree. [UB 115:1.1]
Could it be that the revelators have to incorporate human beings to deliver Epochal Revelations? Could it be that they cannot mechanically recreate our own special universe framework, being as it is, peculiarly conditioned by rebellion and isolation? If they did just deliver their thoughts unaided and un-translated within these human constructs, would we be able to understand their message at all? Perhaps, had they not used these human sources, the whole book would read like the Foreword and be virtually incomprehensible to most of us.
Like you, I can only speculate as to how perfect and perfected beings differ from us in their thought patterns, but I have come to the conclusion that the differences are like a vast chasm that renders it all but impossible for them to communicate in an intelligible way with us. This chasm must be bridged if they are to deliver us with an Epochal Revelation and the best way, perhaps the only way, to bridge the chasm is through the utilization of other human minds. Not just any human minds, but minds just like our own, that have grown up inside an identical human construct.
I thought it might be helpful to take a look at all five Epochal Revelations to see how vitally and intricately human beings were incorporated into each. The book tells us there have been many events of religious revelation but only five of epochal significance. These were as follows:
The true concept of the First Source and Center was first promulgated on Urantia by the one hundred corporeal members of Prince Caligastia’s staff. This expanding revelation of Deity went on for more than three hundred thousand years until it was suddenly terminated by the planetary secession and the disruption of the teaching regime. . . . [UB 92:4.5]
The human sources of the First Epochal Revelation consisted of volunteer citizens from a system capital, none of whom had fused with their indwelling Thought Adjusters. They were provided with personality forms of the dual nature of special planetary service, literal bodies consisting of flesh and blood but also attuned to the life circuits of the system.
Their material bodies were constructed from the transplanted life plasm of one hundred selected survivors of the Andon and Fonta stock. The highly skilled Avalon surgeons transferred this living plasm to the material bodies constructed for their use. The staff consisted of fifty males and fifty females. This corps of material helpers constituted the connecting link between the Prince and the world races. (Could the human sources of The Urantia Book be the connecting link in the Fifth Epochal Revelation?)
We are told that because the Planetary Prince was not visible to mortal beings, it was a test of faith for humans to believe the representations made by his staff of semi-material or invisible beings. (What is our test of faith in believing in The Urantia Book?)
Adam and Eve again portrayed the concept of the Father of all to the evolutionary peoples. The disruption of the first Eden halted the course of the Adamic revelation before it had ever fully started. The aborted teachings of Adam were carried on by the Sethite priests and. . . the entire trend of Levantine religious evolution was subsequently modified by their teachings. [UB 92:4.6]
The human sources of the Second Epochal Revelation, the Material Sons and Daughters, are decidedly material, and completely visible to mortal eyes, so there is not so much of a gap to be bridged in understanding them. By the time they arrive on a world they have had a great deal of experience with mortal beings that have ascended to the mansion worlds. The human source element to the second epochal revelation comes in the form of the brightest human beings who are selected to be taught in the Garden Schools and in turn go back to teach members of their own tribes. The efficacy of the use of emissaries is an idea that is repeated throughout The Urantia Book.
(I believe that the human source authors are not unlike the emissaries of the Garden Schools. Perhaps members of the Reserve Corps, who were secretly and/or unconsciously, trained to present high revelatory ideas within the conceptual framework of twentieth century minds. The Revelatory Commission had then to cull the many writings of these great human thinkers, edit them, and weave them into a meaningful whole. I am in no way suggesting that such a thing would be an easy task.)
Adam and Eve were not too hampered by problems communicating with us. The book tells us this:
The Material Sons and Daughters, together with their children, present an engaging spectacle which never fails to arouse the curiosity and intrigue the attention of all ascending mortals. They are so similar to your own material sex races that you both find much of common interest to engage your thoughts and occupy your seasons of fraternal contact. [UB 45:6.1] [Emphasis mine.]
There really was not a test of faith associated with Adam and Eve. In fact, their challenge was to keep primitive humans from worshiping them. I like to speculate how different our world would be if they had been here for the last 37,000 years. The Material Sons and Daughters play a very important role in being the visible material representation of the universe government to the evolutionary worlds. Had they been here, living in the same planetary headquarters for 37,000 years, it wouldn’t require a whole lot of faith to fathom the reality or existence of extraordinary beings in the universe. Without them, we have been left to absurdly struggle with basic truths such as whether or not we are the only life forms in the universe.
This emergency Son of Nebadon inaugurated the third revelation of truth on Urantia. The cardinal precepts of his teachings were trust and faith. He taught trust in the omnipotent beneficence of God and proclaimed that faith was the act by which men earned God’s favor. His teachings gradually commingled with the belief and practices of various evolutionary religions and finally developed into those theologic systems present on Urantia at the opening of the first millennium after Christ. [UB 92:4.7]
Melchizedek also was given a human body in order to make contact with human beings. He, like Jesus and Adam, incorporated the use of human emissaries and missionaries.These human beings spread his teachings around the globe.
The test of faith for the humans who experienced this revelation was whether or not to believe in this being who was proclaimed to be “priest of the Most High. . . king of peace; without father, without mother, without pedigree, having neither beginning of days nor end of life but made like a Son of God.” Heb. 7:1-3 Let’s face it, such a claim is not an easy thing to accept without a big dose of faith.
Christ Michael presented for the fourth time to Urantia the concept of God as the Universal Father, and this teaching has generally persisted ever since. The essence of his teaching was love and service, the loving worship which a creature son voluntarily gives in recognition of, and response to, the loving ministry of God his Father; the freewill service which such creature sons bestow upon their brethren in the joyous realization that in this service they are likewise serving God the Father. [UB 92:4.8]
Jesus also was made in the likeness of human flesh. In fact, great care was taken in selecting his human parents and his mortal estate. He was to be in every way approachable by humans, and indeed he was. I don’t think I even need to discuss how Jesus bridged the gap between perfection and imperfection. Suffice it to say though, had he not become a human just like all of us he could hardly have made the hand of God small enough to grasp. Again, his humanity was crucial to the success of his revelation. Even so, he incorporated the emissary and missionary methods of spreading his teachings. Some of his missionaries, like Paul, never even knew him personally. But the midwayers tell us that without such imperfect sources as Paul, Christianity would not have so readily spread around the world.
What was the test of faith for the humans of the Fourth Epochal Revelation? Well, they had to believe that this guy who grew up in their neighborhood, went to the same school and synagogue as they did, came from a large family of pretty average people who suffered through some pretty tragic problems, was really the Son of God? Think about it. . . would you believe him if he told you he was the Son of God?
. . . constituting the most recent presentation of truth to the mortals of Urantia. These papers differ from all previous revelations, for they are not the work of a single universe personality but a composite presentation by many beings. But no revelation short of the attainment of the Universal Father can ever be complete. All other celestial ministrations are no more than partial, transient, and practically adapted to local conditions in time and space. While such admissions as this may possibly detract from the immediate force and authority of all revelations, the time has arrived on Urantia when it is advisable to make such frank statements, even at the risk of weakening the future influence and authority of this, the most recent of the revelations of truth to the mortal races of Urantia. [UB 92:4.9] [Emphasis mine]
In closing, I have to wonder what future revelations of truth will say about the human sources of this book. What is our faith challenge as regards The Urantia Book? I don’t personally think it’s any greater than the faith challenge presented to the believers in previous revelations. I think God is revealing himself constantly, all around us. The Urantia Book is yet another keynote speech at the latest spiritual convention on Urantia. I trust that there will be many, many more. Jesus said that the believer has only one battle and that is against doubt, unbelief. I have to say, from my point of view and in the final analysis, if The Urantia Book is not what it claims to be, I think God should read it.
Paula Thompson has read The Urantia Book since 1976 and has participated regularly in study groups since 1977. She served for sixteen years as the Director of Jesusonian Foundation and worked with Mo Siegel to create www.Truthbook.com. For the last year she has worked as the Fellowship’s Director from an in-home office near Boulder, Colorado. Happily married for 24 years, she has three children and two grandchildren.
The material mind of mortal man is the cosmic loom that carries the Morontia fabrics on which the indwelling Thought Adjuster threads the spirit patterns of a universe character of enduring values and divine meanings—a surviving soul of ultimate destiny and unending career, a potential finaliter. [UB 111:2.2]